Major homelessness bills shelved for the year

By Caroline Grinder, legislative advocate (community services)

Sen. Catherine Blakespear pressed pause on two key measures aimed at addressing homelessness this legislative session. The outcome is a mixed result for Cal Cities, which will work closely with the senator to address cities’ concerns before the bills resurface next year for consideration.

SB 16 on hold amid stakeholder concerns and Cal Cities pushback

Blakespear parked SB 16 after considerable pushback from Cal Cities and other homeless and affordable housing advocates. Over 50 organizations came out in opposition to SB 16 after Blakespear gutted and amended the bill to impose significant new requirements on the state’s flagship homelessness grant program, the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) Grant Program.

SB 16 currently requires HHAP applicants to collaborate regionally on an interim housing plan to accommodate 60% of the region’s homeless population by 2032. Applicants would also need to meet annual targets to continue to receive future funding. The bill included several other major changes to the program, including requiring applicants to adopt encampment ordinances and agree to city and county responsibilities.

Cal Cities opposed SB 16, which was introduced at the tail end of the legislative session and gave stakeholders little time to address these seismic changes. As written, the bill would create new long-term planning goals without reliable, long-term money to carry out these plans. In fact, this year’s state budget cuts HHAP funding by half and will not fully allocate new funding until the 2026-27 fiscal year.

Over the fall, Cal Cities will work with the senator and the bill sponsors to address these concerns, while advocating for ongoing funding for the HHAP program.

Co-sponsored encampment coordination bill held due to proposed changes

Blakespear also turned another bill — this one co-sponsored by Cal Cities — into a two-year bill. In its original form, SB 569 would increase communication between the California Department of Transportation and local governments to address encampments on state property.

Specifically, SB 569 would require Caltrans to establish a dedicated liaison to improve communication with local governments, set clear response timelines for encampment-related requests, and make it easier for cities and counties to take on delegated maintenance agreements.

Cal Cities co-sponsored the legislation following a 2024 executive order by Gov. Gavin Newsom that directed state agencies to adopt policies like Caltrans’ to address homeless encampments. It also urged cities to adopt similar policies, warning that the state could withhold state funding if cities refuse to act.

Despite calling on local governments to act with urgency, the administration proposed last-minute changes that would have weakened the bill. Cities are committed to working with Caltrans but continue to face delays and communication barriers. In San Jose, for example, it took the department two months to address an encampment near a downtown highway.

“The way it’s set up right now isn’t working,” said Jorgel Chavez, mayor of Bell Gardens, who came to Sacramento to testify in support of the measure. “It’s too long. Folks are frustrated.”

Instead of accepting those changes, the author and sponsors chose to make it a two-year bill, hoping to work with Caltrans on a path forward next year.

Blakespear can bring both bills forward for consideration next year, the second half of California’s two-year session.